The Beginners Guide to Making Homemade Baby Food

Congratulations on your new little one! As a new parent, you want to give your baby the very best, and that includes their food. While store-bought baby food can be convenient, making your own homemade baby food is a healthy and cost-effective option ~ and much easier than you think! You can control the ingredients and know exactly what your baby is eating!

Here is a beginner's guide to help you on your way to making homemade baby food in no time at all:

1. Equipment essentials. You don't need much to start making homemade baby food. You will need a small steamer basket with a lid to soften the fruits and vegetables before pureeing and a good blender or food processor to puree the food. You'll also need a few small containers with lids to store the food, such as silicone baby food freezer trays. 
2. Select the right ingredients. Start with simple, single-ingredient foods and gradually introduce new flavors and textures as your baby gets used to solid foods. Some good options to start with include avocado, banana, pears, peas and squash. Make sure as you’re introducing new foods you follow the three-day rule. The three day rule essentially means waiting at least three days in between introducing new foods to your baby to ensure your baby will not have any reactions to the new food.
3. Prepare and cook the food. Alright, it’s go time! Wash and peel (if necessary) the ingredients and chop them into small pieces. Depending on the fruit or vegetable of choice, you may want to steam or boil the fruit or vegetable until it is soft. Then, add it in a blender or food processor with two tablespoons of breastmilk, formula or water and puree until it reaches your desired consistency.
4. Store and serve the food. Store the homemade baby food in a clean container with a lid. Homemade baby food can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to one month. Keep in mind if you are using frozen breastmilk, you should serve the food immediately and should not freeze it.
5. Feed your baby. To serve, thaw the food in the refrigerator (ideally, overnight) or by placing the baby food container into a larger container with warm water. Once the homemade baby food is thawed, put it in a bowl and grab Jet by The Clever Baby to feed your baby! Jet is the first-of-its-kind baby food feeder, medicine dispenser and teether all-in-one! When you use Jet to feed your baby, you can count on less of a mess and the markings on the dispenser make it easy to measure how much your baby is actually eating! The plane-shaped teether fits on top of the dispenser making it so fun to feed your baby ~ here comes the plane! As a bonus, you can chill the teether and give it to your baby before or after eating to help soothe your baby’s sore gums!

Making homemade baby food is a great way to ensure that your little one is getting nutritious baby food made with the best possible ingredients. With a little bit of planning and the right equipment, you’ll be making homemade baby food before you know it! Happy cooking!

Tricia Meyer is a serial entrepreneur, business lawyer and mom of 6! Tricia is the Co-Founder at The Clever Baby. The Clever Baby recently launched its first product Jet - a patented, innovative teether and dispenser all-in-one, and is committed to developing clever products for parents and creating magical moments for babies and kids. Tricia has been featured in many publications including Inc., Crain’s, Chicago Tribune, NBC Chicago, American Express OPEN Forum, and more! Tricia has also received 30+ awards over the course of her career including being recognized by Crain’s Chicago as one of the most influential lawyers in Chicago and by Forbes on the Next1000 list! Learn more about The Clever Baby at www.thecleverbaby.com.